Safer Spaces
Activity #1 & #2
Start the Safer Spaces Toolkit with the Environmental Scan Activity and the Safety Audit Template before moving on to the next learning section.
What is Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault?
Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault (DFSA) occurs when alcohol or other drugs/substances are used to intentionally sedate or incapacitate a person in order to perpetrate non-consensual acts/sexual assault.
In more than half of all reported sexual assaults the perpetrator used alcohol or substances/drugs on themselves or the victim/survivor.
To complicate matters, the residual effects of the drugs or alcohol used may affect the victim’s memory; thus, leaving them confused or unable to recount places and people.
Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault can occur in two ways:
Opportunistic (when the perpetrator takes advantage of a victim’s voluntary use of drugs or alcohol), and
Proactive (when the perpetrator intentionally forces a victim to consume drugs without their knowledge).
Did you know?
We heard from some of our participants that they themselves, as men or masculinized people have experienced being dosed/drugged at the same time as the woman/feminized person they were with at a bar or club.
“I knew I was dosed, I could feel it and I told her we had to leave right away, she passed out before we got home and I was just shaking in the cab like holy _____ that almost just happened.”
Reflection Question:
Why do you think this happens?
Quick Facts
Alcohol is the most commonly used substance in drug-facilitated sexual assault. In over 50% of sexual violence crimes, alcohol is used.
Most drugs can dissolve within minutes; they are colourless and odourless. They take an average of 5-20 minutes to take effect and the effects can last minutes or hours.
The effects and impact will vary based on many variables (use a harm reduction lens). It leaves the body within 7-24 hours. Most survivors do not go to the hospital for the first 12-24 hours.
Many of our Safer Spaces participants have disclosed either witnessing someone who seemed drugged or dosed by substances without consent or disclosed that they themselves experience this in a bar or club
How can I tell if someone has been drugged or dosed?
What you may see: shock, sweating, trembling, inability to concentrate or answer questions, stumbling, slurring, drowsiness, vomiting, unconsciousness. It is very hard to determine if someone has been drugged or dosed unless they are able to tell you. Do your best to show overall curiosity and empathy towards people in your space regardless of how you may assume the person got into the state they are in.
Tip:
If you are not familiar with harm reduction approaches or practices. Please seek support, training and learning. Harm reduction destigmatizes substance use and saves lives.
Here are 3 different scenarios and behaviours. We are going to give you tips to check in with. These are examples taken from experience and practice with these methods in the bar and hospitality industry. They follow a trauma-informed approach.
Scenario 1: The person can’t stand up well and seems to look very intoxicated or unable to stand up or manage their body well.
Approach the person you are concerned about, in a visible way. Talk directly to them first, not to their friends or people you assume they may be with. Approach with curiosity and empathy in your body and tone. “Hey, are you okay?”, “Hey, how are you doing?”, “Hello, did you need help?” Introduce yourself and speak clearly.
If they are standing/sitting: Invite them to come and sit somewhere lower to the ground while they stabilize (stabilizing can look like increased cohesion in speech, mobility and memory. For example, how they got to the place they are in, who did they engage with) Do not let their friends drag them away. Pause. Let them sit with them and help them communicate.
Call or text someone to take them home if they are ready and have asked to go home. Use your intuition and check in with the person picking them up or taking them home.
Taxi/Uber – Document or photograph their license before they leave the space.
Scenario 2: The person can’t stand up. They are sitting on a stool and wobbling. They are unable to focus.
Approach the person you are concerned about, in a visible way. Talk directly to them. – “Hey, are you okay?”, “Hey, how are you doing?”, “Hello, did you need help?” Introduce yourself and speak clearly.
If they are standing/sitting: Invite them to come sit somewhere lower to the ground while they stabilize. Do not let their friends drag them away. Pause. Let them sit and talk to you.
If they are verbal, but not able to keep their eyes open or focus: wait a few minutes and assess, if they can’t speak or communicate you may have to call an ambulance or spend some time monitoring them and keeping crowds away.
Call an ambulance if they worsen, pass out and/or are non-responsive after a few minutes.
Scenario 3: The person is or has become unresponsive or unconscious.
Breathe, and act quickly.
Delegate to your teammates or pace your steps. Someone has to call 911 first.
Check-in on the person and place them in the safety or recovery position if you can. If you cannot, simply stay with them and roll them on their side if they throw up.
Another team member needs to be doing crowd control to ensure privacy and safety. If you have a back entrance tell EMS this may be faster, if it has fewer people in that area.
Stay with the person. Talk to them and assure them they are safe and comfortable and not alone while you wait for the EMS.
Tips to preventing drugging/dosing & DFSA
Don’t overserve and be mindful of how much you have served.
Have a selection of non-alcoholic drinks (seedlip + mocktails).
Have water for FREE and in containers with tops.
Don’t be a matchmaker.
Coasters and napkins are your best friend.
Ensure adequate lighting.
Have trained volunteers & staff.
Take incident reporting and data collection seriously.
How to support someone who may have been drugged and assaulted and does not want to go to the police:
Ensure they seek medical care. Visit any SANE Nurse or Sexual assault clinic. For information on your local Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Centre
Write as much down any details they can remember as soon as you can or as the pieces come back to them.
Look through your phone and friends’ phones for photos and evidence.
Call the bar/space that you were in and ask them for documentation, or if the person is a regular, or if they have security or video surveillance.
Come up with a safety plan with the survivor if the person is someone you know.
Codes of Conduct
Communicating Your Values and Expectations
Creating a Code of Conduct is a great way to share your values, mission, and practices with any people working with you, especially contract workers, volunteers, suppliers, and security.
It is very important to have a Code of Conduct, especially if other people are renting or using your space, or if you throw parties or festivals. You can create a Code of Conduct from diverse lenses. Our lens will focus on gender-based violence prevention and response.
How to Write an Effective Code of Conduct
Who are you?
A little about the organization, yourself or the event’s goal
What is your vision?
How do you intend on preventing gender-based violence or sexual harassment in your space?
What does “Safer Space” mean to you in terms of gender equity and gender-based violence prevention?
What do you value in the space?
How is this represented within your team?
What are your norms?
How do you want people to act, represent the workplace, treat one another? This is very important to set the tone for how all people in your space should treat one another. Be specific if you can.
What happens if you see something that is not safe?
What happens if you experience something that is not safe? Who do you contact? Make sure you have your AHL and manager/owner listed. Emergency lines are also listed. Make sure you are descriptive about how to identify the person who is responsible for receiving disclosures in the space or during the event.
How to do this with your team
Creating a code of conduct from an emergent team process is a great way to include everyone’s input in what makes a space safe and meaningful for them.
Spend one or two meetings brainstorming and talking this out with one another or a trained facilitator.
Code of Conduct
All staff are responsible for acting in a respectful way towards one another.
You expect all partners or third parties to follow your values and code of conduct.
You are inclusive and equitable as an organization and as a team.
What does this mean?
What does this mean to you as an individual? What does this look like for employees?
What does this mean for staff and how do these third parties know this ahead of time?
What does this look like? What does this mean?
Security and Communication
Many communities will be hesitant, rightfully so, to turn to police as the first response to gender-based or sexual violence. Less than 5% of survivors report to the police. Therefore, we know the importance and value of equipping our security teams with safety practices to make them safer for our communities in our spaces at our events.
If you have security at your event, make sure you follow the following guidelines to create healthier communication and ensure that your standards of practice are the same as your security staff.
Going over these elements will ensure that you and security are working together, not against one another.
Make sure they have a copy of your Code of Conduct.
Include security when you can in staff meetings.
Ask them for a 5-minute prep with management, or the event coordinator, to go over norms before an event to prevent any misunderstanding or misinformation.
Recap what the sexual harassment and violence response and support process is like.
Make sure security know that if they are unsure, they can look for _______________________ (i.e. the AHL, supervisor, management, etc.).
Activity #3
Check out the Artist Safety Rider Activity now before moving on to the last section of the Safer Spaces Toolkit.
A Feminist Recovery
Don’t Rebuild on our Backs
Don’t Rebuild On Our Backs is a call-to-action for policy change, equity, safety for survivors and the organizations and programs that serve them.
This report and these recommendations are intended to serve as a piece of a larger collective ask where primary prevention and gender equity are prioritized, and a feminist economic recovery plan is implemented through the community. We do not want to see our work, programs, and voices left behind.
Well done, you’ve reached the end of the Safer Spaces section of the learning portal!
Remember to take breaks and practice self-care in between sections. This can be difficult content. If you need extra support or are feeling triggered, access the resources on the trigger warning page.